Living with Art: Whispers of the Wilderness at India Art Festival | Art by Vinita

In January 2026, I presented a few works from my collection Whispers of the Wilderness at the India Art Festival. It was almost a last-moment decision—there were just two booths left, and I took one. I remember hesitating because my paintings are large, original abstract paintings. They need space. They like to breathe. They are meant to be met slowly.

As a contemporary Indian artist working in an abstract impressionist style, I create paintings inspired by trees and nature, using a minimalist color palette. Fewer colors, more feeling. This booth wasn’t big, and it wasn’t planned far in advance. But sometimes you don’t wait for perfect conditions. You show up, and you let the work find its way.

Whispers of the Wilderness: Trees, Stillness, and Original Abstract Art

I kept a few paintings from Whispers of the Wilderness at the exhibition. Just a few. These works are rooted in the presence of trees—not as literal landscapes, but as quiet, abstract forms that hold strength, calm, and stillness. I wanted them to sit in the space without noise around them, to meet people in their own time.

And that’s exactly how they were met. Visitors didn’t rush past. They paused. They stood with the work. They moved from one piece to another without hurry—the way someone moves through a space they are beginning to imagine living with.

Many people described the work in the same words: soothing, calming, soft, different, and new. Hearing that echoed back to me felt deeply affirming, because that is exactly the quality I try to build into these original paintings—a quiet presence that doesn’t demand attention but slowly earns it.

Neel: A Painting That Drew Admiration

One painting in particular, Neel, received a lot of admiration at the India Art Festival. People returned to it, spoke about it, and stayed with it longer. Watching that kind of response is always special, because it’s often the moment when someone starts to imagine an artwork in their own home or workspace.

For me, that’s the quiet beginning of collecting art—not as decoration, but as a thoughtful choice to live with a painting over time.

Conversations, Catalogues, and Quiet Engagement

Instead of focusing on documentation, I found myself inside conversations and listening. Someone spent a long time with the art catalogue, turning pages slowly. Someone else paused to write a note. These moments matter deeply to me, because they show when art is being considered, not just seen.

There were many small signs that the work was being received well. People lingered. They returned to certain pages in the catalogue. They spoke about how the paintings made them feel. They enjoyed the small giveaways and carried a piece of the experience with them.

At one point, I saw the exhibition in the newspaper, with photographs of works by different artists. Finding my own painting there, in print, was a quiet affirmation of the journey of showing contemporary Indian art to a wider audience.

When Art Stays with People

One of the most meaningful encounters was with a lady who, at my very first solo show years ago, had called me “Dr. Vinita,” saying my work felt healing and belonged in hospitals and clinics. Seeing her again after all this time reminded me that some artworks stay with people—and people find their way back to them.

The booth may not have been ideal for the scale of my work—my paintings still like more room than they had. But what mattered more was how the work was met: with time, attention, and openness.

Art Meant to Be Lived With

Whispers of the Wilderness is a collection created in stillness, with a minimal color palette, inspired by trees, and built around a sense of quiet strength. These are original abstract paintings made to bring calm into a space, to hold a room gently, and to become part of everyday living.

Seeing Neel and the other works received with such thoughtful attention reaffirmed something I believe deeply: this is contemporary Indian art for collectors who value work that is soothing, calming, soft, and quietly powerful—work that feels different and new, yet timeless in presence.

These are not paintings for a passing moment, but works for those who want to collect art that stays, settles, and continues to reveal itself over time.

Art by VInita

To watch more stories from the exhibition, visit this Instagram link.https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MTA3Nzg0NzM2NjYxNjQ2?story_media_id=3818509971181043782&igsh=dDB5MjFvc3phOXp2